Topic: Ultra Orthodox

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's governing coalition is facing a crisis after two ultra-Orthodox parties from the United Torah Judaism (UTJ) movement threatened to quit. The dispute centers on a Supreme Court ruling that ended the decades-old exemption of ultra-Orthodox men from mandatory military service. With the war in Gaza requiring more manpower, the rift between religious and secular Israelis has widened, leaving Netanyahu with a precarious one-vote majority in the Knesset.

A major political debate is unfolding in Israel regarding the exemption of ultra-Orthodox Jews from compulsory military service. Many secular Israelis are resentful that this growing community lives on government stipends while avoiding the draft. The issue has become a top political priority, touching on the fundamental character of the state and the balance between religious study and civic responsibility.